SMACNA contractors make daily decisions that impact the efficiency of their shops and strengthen the confidence with which their teams transition work from design to fabrication, and then to installation. These decisions include equipment choices, material flow, labor planning and layout strategies. Every few years, a significant question comes to our attention.

Should a contractor rely on commercial software to manage the core of its fabrication ecosystem, or should it create an internal solution reflecting the specific way its people work? This debate has continued quietly, or sometimes not so quietly, for a long time, often with strong opinions on both sides.

One solution proposed by the Hill Group offers a bold answer to this question, and SMACMA contractors are now getting a chance to explore it. Instead of relying on prebuilt platforms, the mechanical contractor decided to build its own systems and develop digital tools that would support the structure of its operation. This is a platform that can separate itself from other mechanical and sheet metal contractors that use commercial solutions for project management, procurement, coordination, fabrication tracking and field communication. 

By Hill choosing a different path, it created internal platforms that reflect how it believes work should move through an integrated mechanical and specialty trades organization. It has continuously evolved these tools over the years, driven by advances in technology and shifting customer expectations.

The decision to buy or build is rarely an obvious one. The beneficial aspect of buying software is a tested, developed foundation. It provides a help desk, a roadmap, regular updates and the security that comes with knowing someone else is responsible for fixing bugs or dealing with outages. 

The other aspect of the buy-or-build decision is adopting workflows designed to serve thousands of different companies. These tools function well for many contractors, but they can require teams to adapt to a standardized process, shifting their preferred way of operating and culture.

User-centric design: Aligning technology with company culture

Taking the route to build your own software requires patience and clarity. It also requires translating shop-floor knowledge into digital logic, including a deep understanding of how work really moves through the shop and the field. Leadership has to be willing to view technology development as a substantial real investment, not just a line item. 

When a contracting business decides to take this path, it creates tools that feel like a natural extension of its identity. The system personifies a digital representation of the company’s values and philosophy. It is a continuously evolving and adapting element and must be supported while in use. That responsibility is a core reason for contractors to want to avoid custom development.

Hill Group embraced the possibilities of customization. It examined how information flows from design through coordination, procurement and fabrication. The mechanical contractor conducted a study of handoffs that occurred inside the office and shop, and in the field. It asked how software could support its people instead of forcing them to fit someone else’s system, and looked at how the company could engage its people in the system rather than the system into its people. 

This user-centric mindset influenced the design of Hill’s internal tools. It contributed to creating a process that aligns with how its teams think about work and how company leaders approach accountability across departments.

There are significant advantages to building a software system from the core. The predominant advantage is the ability to match the software to the exact flow of the organization. Hill can adjust a workflow in its system to correspond with the adjustments happening on the floor operation. It can create reporting tools that reflect the information its supervisors, coordinators and managers actually need. It can eliminate steps that add friction and add features that reinforce best practices. 

A custom system allows Hill Group to evolve its digital tools at the same pace as operational changes. 

Another benefit to consider is reduced internal friction. Employees do not need to navigate workarounds or memorize the logic of a commercial system designed for a different company. Instead, they can continue to work in their natural workflow. That alignment builds consistency and strengthens trust. It creates a shared language for teams across departments. When software fits the culture of a company, it becomes a tool reinforcing performance rather than complicating it.

The challenges are just as significant. A contracting company that builds its own software assumes full responsibility for maintenance, updates, security, documentation and long-term planning. It must maintain the expertise required to support the system. It must train new employees not only in fabrication or coordination, but in the logic of the internal platform. 

Funds need to be allocated for continuous enhancements. Commercial vendors spread that cost across many customers. A contractor who builds his own tools cannot do that; the burden is his alone.

Hill Group embraced this challenge, too. It considers its internal systems every bit as critical as its equipment. It supports the individuals who ensure the software remains stable and evolving. Digital tools are evaluated with the same discipline used when upgrading machines or reorganizing the shop. The company’s approach has helped shape a system that supports its unique blend of mechanical, industrial and specialty work.

Seeing innovation in action

During this month’s SMACNA Fab Forum in Chicago, attendees had the opportunity to see this philosophy in action. Hill Group hosted a guided tour of its Franklin Park, Illinois, facility, demonstrating how its internal systems drive the flow of information and material. Guests saw how coordination information moves into fabrication, how schedules are generated, how work releases happen and how different departments connect through a platform built entirely within the company.

This tour offered more than a behind-the-scenes glimpse; it was a chance for contractors to evaluate the buy-versus-build decision with real, tangible examples. Companies relying on commercial software can compare their experiences with a mechanical contractor that built its own tools. Contractors considering custom development can grasp the realities of the long-term commitment. 

In today’s world where most conversations about software happen through sales presentations, Hill offers a rare look at a functioning ecosystem designed from the inside out.

Hill Group’s story is not an argument against commercial platforms. It exemplifies the potential unlocked when a contractor decides to build something original, ensuring its culture, structure and priorities reach their full potential. The mechanical contractor has proven that a homegrown system can scale, evolve and support a complex organization. Its experience provides the industry with a valuable case study at a time when digital decisions are shaping the future of fabrication.

Travis Voss is the director of innovative technology and fabrication at the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association. Before joining SMACNA, Voss worked for Helm Mechanical as its leader of innovative technology.